Hunting Destiny
by Quicksilver
Summary: A Ranma fusion with the Dragonlance story of the same name. A story of betrayal, love, and possible redemption. Please r/r...


  
Quicksilver's Quill Presents  
Hunting Destiny  
mbsilvana@yahoo.com  
Standard Disclaimers  
Author's Note: Poem and original story by Nick O'Donahue. This is a semi-  
rewrite of the story "Hunting Destiny" by Nick O'Donahue. I would classify  
it as a serious fic- some might call it sad, but I wouldn't. No forehand   
knowledge of the original story is needed. If you're interested, it's in   
Dragonlance's "Love and War" anthology. It's a great read!  
Feedback! Compliments and Criticism welcome.  
  
She stood, looking where the sun would rise, even though it  
would never again warm her flesh. By her feet ran a stream, yet she would  
never again cast a reflection in its cool depths. Ghosts simply didn't have  
that ability.  
She stood, listening, as was her curse. To always watch,   
yet never be an active participant. Yet again, she cursed Him, cursed the   
one she had loved too well. For it was His fault that she would never  
be granted the sleep of death.  
Unlike usual, though, she heard a sound in the usually still   
woods. The sound was almost unfamiliar- it was the sound of laughter. Her  
curiosity piqued, she decided to investigate.  
She floated easily through the wood, for even this cursed   
land was incapable of hindering her. Soon she arrived at a small campsite.  
She stared, amazed. It was a party of five- three men and   
two young boys. She wanted to warn them of the danger here, but she knew   
such an effort would be futile. Only creatures of magic could see and hear   
one such as she. Perhaps she would ask a centaur to guard them; the men were   
stupid to come here and deserved what they got coming, but the children....   
she had loved children once. The sight of them inspired a faint wistfullness  
somewhere within her... had it really been so long ago? she wondered.  
She was just about to go on hunt for the centaurs when she   
heard something that interested her.  
"These woods are cursed, Shinji," one of the men said to the   
oldest man in the group. The spirit agreed with him wholeheartedly.  
The grizzled old man, apparently the afore mentioned Shinji,   
nodded his agreement. "Aye, that they are. The very nature of this woods   
is... twisted, unnatural. But it wasn't always that way, or so my  
Grandfather told me when I was young."  
The two children, who were trying very hard not to be scared by their  
surroundings, sensed the opportunity for a distraction. "Is there a story   
behind this place?" one of them asked, eager for a tale that might take his   
mind off what might be lurking in the shadows.  
The older man ruffled the child's hair. "The story was old   
in my grandfather's day. Actually, there's a song," he began. "I remember a   
little of it." Shinji began to sing in a somewhat decent baritone:  
  
"There was a proud and noble lass,  
In Shadow Wood was born,  
And there she grew, and there she met  
And loved a unicorn."  
  
The child who had spoken looked confused. "A lass? In love   
with a unicorn?"  
Shinji nodded. "I always thought the unicorn meant   
something else- perhaps it is a reference to the Forest Master."  
"The Forest Master?" the other child asked.  
"Hai. It is said that he rules this cursed place, and all   
the places with magic in their being."  
The ghost stared at the old man, not sure if she could bear  
to hear any more of this conversation.   
Shinji began to sing again, and the Ghost winced at the   
strained measure. She'd heard this song many times before, yet each time   
made her soul shudder. She hated the reminders, but at the same time, they   
kept her going.  
Shinji took up the song again.  
  
"She served him long, she served him well,  
She served him whole and part  
Until one night in Shadow Glade  
She told him all her heart."  
  
"It's a love story," said the only man who hadn't spoken in a   
disgusted voice.  
"Perhaps, but there's no happy ending," Shinji responded.   
An owl cried, and the group shuddered. The bird of ill-  
omen. "I'll tell you kids the rest of this after we've left Darken Wood," he   
informed the youngsters. They nodded, too frightened to protest. The man   
who had made the comment about the love story got the children into bed while  
the other two held a whispered conversation. The ghost heard every word.   
"I don't like it here," the unnamed man said.  
Shinji's dark eyes were grave. "Neither do I. But this is  
the only way we can avoid the demons- they dare not enter here." The ghost  
knew better, but there was no way she could tell the mortals that.  
"For good reason!" the other man protested. "The trees weep   
blood! The animals hunt for humans, and I've heard it said.... that the dead  
walk."  
"But no innocent is ever harmed," Shinji replied. He looked  
over at the sleeping children. "The Forest Master will not allow it."  
"What's the rest of the song?" the other man asked suddenly.   
"It gave me the creeps."  
Shinji scratched his chin. "I remember the story- it's   
about how Darken Wood was made from Shadow Wood; something about a betrayal   
and revenge. I simply can't recall the rest of the song itself."  
The ghost sighed and shook her head. She recalled it all too  
well. It had been nice to hear a living voice sing it. Sighing, she sang   
the next verse to herself:  
  
"He did not mock, He did not laugh,  
But softly told her nay;  
She did not grieve, but chose to leave  
And plotted to betray."  
  
She floated off, remembering to warn the centaurs and other   
goodly creatures of the woods to guard against a possible attack on the   
children. Shinji was partly right; while the Forest Master tried to protect  
the innocent, even He could not be everywhere at once. The Forest was   
Evil, and sought to wrestle itself free of the Forest Master. Even with His   
skills, occasionally the Forest Master lost control of the forces that vied   
for their freedom. No matter how quickly He fixed things, damage would   
(inevitably) be done.   
She floated towards the edge of the Forest, knowing what she   
would find there. It had once been a shack, but now was falling down. She   
saw the faint imprints of memory trying to restore it to a semblance of   
respectability, but they were blurred and transparent. This was his curse:   
he was no longer able to maintain his home, yet his memory had sharpened to   
the point of being almost eidetic. The Forest Master had not been in a kind   
mood that day, but the ghost didn't blame Him for that.  
She sang out, almost tauntingly:  
  
"Shinnosuke was duty bound,  
To guard the wood from fear.  
But he, in pride, set sword aside,  
To bargain with his dear."  
  
He drifted out and focused his eyes on her. "Whatever made   
you think of that horrible song, Akane?"  
Akane (for it was her ghost), smiled sadly. "I actually heard it   
sung today, if you can believe it. They still remember."   
"But they remember wrong," Shinnosuke protested. "I'd rather   
they forget then believe in that stupid tripe. I wish they remembered the   
ballads of our old days- when we saved the world, rather than destroyed it."  
"That was even an even longer time ago, and human memory is   
very short. They never remember the good things. I can't say I blame them,  
" she said softly, looking around Darken Wood.   
Shinnosuke brushed the ghostly tear from her face. They   
were able to touch each other, and when they did, they felt almost alive.   
But only almost. Akane could think of worst people to have to share an   
unlife with then Shinnosuke. Still, she felt horribly guilty for leading   
him to this fate.  
"Enough about Ranma. You've got that song stuck in my head   
again," he accused. Then he picked up the song:  
  
"There is no hunt for me," said he,  
Of any creature born,  
Unless I could in Shadow Wood  
Hunt down the unicorn."  
  
"I didn't want to kill him I just wanted.... I'm not sure...."   
Shinnosuke said softly.   
Akane sighed. "I wanted Him dead. I figured that if I couldn't   
have Him, no one could." Then she laughed. "In a way, I got my wish.   
Ukyou, Shampoo and Kodachi didn't get Him either. He was married to this   
place instead."  
"Why were there people in the woods?" Shinnosuke asked   
suddenly.  
Akane shrugged what had once been her shoulders. "I don't   
know. I heard one of them mention demons. They've conquered over half the   
world, or so the pegasi told me recently."   
"And caused the second dark age to come about," Shinnosuke   
added. "Most of these people have never even heard of electricity. Swords  
are common, and I've heard of plagues that kill entire villages.   
It's funny to think our actions had such an effect on the world."  
Sad indeed, she thought, recalling how she had betrayed her   
former fiancee. She sang:  
  
"None knows so well where he may dwell  
As I who did his will,  
If you will heed, then I will lead,  
And you may have your kill.  
  
The girl led on from night to dawn,  
From sunrise into morn,  
And in the shade of Shadow Glade  
Betrayed the unicorn."  
  
Shinnosuke sighed. It did Akane no good to reminisce about it.   
Better to help her get over it. "It never should have happened- Ranma should  
have married you or Ukyou and settled the whole issue. He just dragged it   
out."  
"Or Kodachi... or Shampoo, or..." Akane said bitterly.  
"They weren't his fiancees, and he didn't love them. It would have  
been either Ukyou or you- if he hadn't become the Forest Master."  
Akane was caught up in the memories of that time. He had been   
powerful as a teenager, and His power continued to grow as He aged.   
Everyone had always known that He was special, but few foresaw the destiny   
that beckoned Him.  
She remembered the day He had become the Forest Master. It had been   
a typical Nerima day- Ryouga was threatening Him, Ukyou being followed by   
Tsubasa, Mousse was chasing Shampoo, Happosai was....  
She shook her head, trying to keep her thoughts in order. He ended   
up battling the first of the demons released by the insane Sorcerer Dimanche.  
He had won, managing to drive them from the Nerima Ward, yet at a terrible   
cost. Akane remembered the sight of His broken body spilling, His heart's   
blood into the soil. He should have died there.  
But He hadn't. The very Earth rebelled at losing one of its greatest   
champions, and so He had risen, His path forever altered. He was Nature's   
Champion; He now had the purpose He had always lacked before. She remembered   
watching Him get up from what should have been His resting place, feeling no   
surprise at all. He had always been destined for great things.  
His powers came from a source far greater than anything Akane could   
even begin to comprehend, and with it, a new wisdom. He saw the danger the   
world was in, and vowed to be the protector of the world. He realized,   
somehow managing to overcome His previous ego problem, that He couldn't do it  
alone. He summoned the best people he had ever known, and offered them a   
choice. Serve him, gain immortality and the chance to keep the world safe.   
Ryouga, Akane, Ukyou, Kasumi, Shinnosuke, Shampoo, Mousse... the people who   
became known to the world as the Seven Servants.  
Akane could still remember the feel of His lips on her forehead as   
He kissed her to grant her the powers she would need. The power had been   
awesome- but the power hadn't mattered. It had been the first time He had   
kissed her willingly, and she remembered the glow she had felt from it. Of   
course, she had watched him kiss Shampoo and Ukyou immediately thereafter,   
which had dulled a little of the warmth. And then He had kissed Ryouga....  
She laughed to herself at her memories of a happier time. Things had  
been good for a while. Somehow, they all managed to get along, working   
together for the greater good. Akane, though, wanted more. She wanted Him   
to love her as she loved Him.  
So she had confessed her feelings to Him, only to be put aside   
gently. "With my power comes a burden. I fear I can no longer walk the   
same path as you," He explained softly. To demonstrate, He summoned water   
from the ground, which he then splashed on himself. To Akane's surprise,   
His form shifted as usual, but He no longer became a woman. Instead, He   
transformed into a noble black stallion, with a twisting gold horn on His   
forehead. His eyes were the same sparkling sapphires that Akane just wanted  
to lose herself in. "A unicorn, above all, is pure."  
Akane nodded solemnly, then turned to leave. Rage was slowly   
building in her heart. He had led her on! Then she made her worst mistake. She went to Shinnosuke and offered him a hunt. She knew she couldn't defeat Him on her own, but figured Shinnosuke could distract Him long enough for her to kill Him, as she believed was her only recourse. And besides, Shinnosuke loved her.  
So the hunt began. She led Shinnosuke straight to Shadow Glade, where He was in stallion form, working His subtle magicks to protect the forest from the demons and other forms of evil that sought entry. Shinnosuke attacked, and He was forced to shift into human form. His expression was sad as He made a few gestures, pulling on the threads of magic. Shifting back to human form, He prepared to discipline His former friends.  
Akane watched in horror as the very trees snagged her. She struggled, reminded of the time on Toma's island. Shinnosuke was similarly entangled. The trees brought her to the Forest Master. Out of nowhere, Ryouga appeared to witness the situation. He didn't seem to notice. The next verses of the song came to Akane, fueling her reverie. She sang it sadly:  
  
He spoke to her; his voice was grim:  
"What have you done for pride?  
You know and see your destiny  
And yet you turn aside.  
  
You would betray me to my death  
And quite forsake your vows?  
Then service lent without consent  
Is all you do me now."  
  
He touched her once, he touched her twice,  
And three times with his horn;  
And there she fell, and where she fell,  
She rose a unicorn.  
  
He had kissed her then on the forehead, but this kiss was much different then the one He used to make her Immortal. Instead of strengthening, He used His power as a punishment. The sensation burned her body into oblivion. She suddenly was able to be free of the tree's grasp, but she couldn't rejoice in that fact. Her body was gone- she had lost her corporeal existence. Shinnosuke was similarly dealt with. Ryouga spat on both of them (or rather, towards both of them, since they had lost their bodies), turning his back on them. Ryouga, who had always been there for her. Ryouga, who had loved her as she had loved Him. The final betrayal, she had thought at the time.  
Akane left then, loudly cursing her former fiancee. She hadn't been ready then to admit it was HER fault. That had taken a few centuries.  
Those centuries had passed slowly, and she wanted, more than anything, peace. Shampoo and Mousse had already been granted release when they had begged it of Him. Ryouga and Ukyou battled the invaders and demons that Darken Wood attracted, and Kasumi aided the Forest Master in his quest to heal the forest. Of all her former friends, only Shinnosuke and Kasumi would talk to her now. She looked at the twisted trees, feeling their pain. Closing her eyes, she shed more ghostly tears, for their suffering was her fault.   
The night of the hunt, Shinnosuke had left the Eastern border undefended. While He was tied up battling his own liegemen, the forest had been easily invaded by a group of wizards, led by Dimanche- the same sorcerer who had unintentionally made Him the Forest Master.  
She could imagine the ceremony, and did so often. It seemed the trees wanted to torment her for her actions, as if being cursed as a ghost wasn't enough. There were thirteen men, who danced in a macabre dance that spoke of death. She could imagine Dimanche raising his voice in chant, speaking words that made the very fiber of Akane's being tremble in fear. Quickly, they finished. The task was done- darkness swept through the forest, casting a shadow over everything that had once been pure. She looked at the trees that were around her and raised her empty voice in a repentant lament:   
  
"The guard has fled; his trusting land  
All undefended lies;  
And through the wood invaders ride  
With darkness in their eyes.  
  
Without alarms they practice charms  
That drive away the light  
And Shadow into Darken Wood  
Is made that evil night."  
  
The Forest Master had been able to minimize the damage. Instead of making the Forest a living Hell (as the spell was intended to do), He was able to distill the curse down to merely making it dangerous. While demons were VERY attracted by it, His two warriors were able to combat them. There was nothing He could do for the trees or animals, aside from banish the darkness individually. Even with Kasumi's help, it was a tiring process, one which had barely cleaned a tenth of the forest in the five hundred years since the curse had been laid.  
Akane often wondered why Dimanche had bothered to perform the spell. Why would anyone want to summon demons to this plain of existence, even if they were insane? Ukyou and Ryouga had hunted down the group of sorcerers, one by one, and slain them all, with the exception of Dimanche, who had vanished mysteriously. There had been no answers from that front.   
She shook herself back to the present, looking at Shinnosuke. "I'm going to go talk to Kasumi," she said softly. "Do you want to come?" she asked, more out of habit then any expectation that he would accept her invitation.  
"No. Every time I leave here, I come back to less then what there was before," he said sadly.   
Akane left him alone with his memories, trying to allay her feelings of guilt by telling herself that Shinnosuke had chosen to follow her. She wandered through the woods, searching for her older sister.  
Time had changed Kasumi less then it had any of the rest of them, though. She had once been a gentle housekeeper, and all of them could see her marrying and settling down with children. It had come as quite a shock that Ranma had chosen HER to be one of his assistants, but as time wore on, his reasons had become clear.  
Kasumi loved everything unconditionally, and the Earth had responded to her gentle touch. In some ways, she was even more powerful then the Forest Master himself when it came to dealing with individual plants. It was she who helped turned the tide against Dimanche's dark spell, working herself until she was little more then a wraith herself. It was she who helped keep Akane from going completely insane. It was she who Akane wanted to be able to touch- really touch- again.  
Kasumi sat in one of the clearings that was still tainted by Dimanche's spell. Her fingers were running over a single plant, leaf by leaf, trying to force the wickedness from it. Her soft chocolate eyes widened as she noticed her sister. "Akane!" she exclaimed gladly.  
Akane tried to stifle the feelings of inadequacy that welled inside her. She didn't deserve Kasumi's warmth. "There were people in the wood tonight," she told her sister softly.  
Kasumi nodded. "Hai, I know. You did well to tell the centaurs to guard them- one of the demons managed to get through Ukyou and tried to take the smallest child. Without your warning, he would likely have died."  
"How did they fare?" Akane asked, trying to sound indifferent. There was really no reason for her to care, but the traces of the girl who had lived in Nerima remained.  
"The men and children are fine; one of the centaurs took some damage to its shoulder, but will be okay," Kasumi hesitated, "yet Ukyou is not well, though. The demon managed to injure her quite badly- it will be over a week before she can again guard the Northern border, and Ryouga is wearied from his recent battle in the West. I fear the demons are getting stronger... though few of them remain, those that do are powerful."  
Akane nodded, knowing that the demons that roamed the world in general kept trying to gain entrance to the forest. If they managed to claim the glade of the Forest Master, hell might literally break free- Dimanche's spell had weakened the barrier between worlds enough for that to happen. "So He must join the fight," she said, not using His name. Kasumi, of course, knew who she was talking about.   
"It looks that way. Ryouga is going to try to keep the South safe, but even that may be too much for him." Kasumi finished working on the plant, but didn't move onto another, which wasn't like her. "It looks like that I might have to guard the East," she admitted hesitantly.  
Horror overwhelmed Akane. She had had no idea that things were so bad. "No!" she protested. "You're not a fighter! You can't!"  
Kasumi shook her head, long wisps of brown hair blowing in the breeze. "I'll have some centaurs, pegasi and perhaps even some elves to aid me," she replied. "My magic is strong. I should be fine," she said.  
Akane's ghostly face tightened. "Should". She hated the idea of her peaceful sister forced into battle. She bowed at the waist, then floated out of the grove, forgetting a formal farewell. Kasumi watched her go, feeling dread. She scoffed at it, though. Akane was already dead.  
Akane floated through the forest, her mind a jumble of confused thoughts. It had all seemed so simple those few centuries ago- hurt Him for hurting her. But she hadn't thought of the possibilities, hadn't thought that He was no longer the somewhat tactless teenager she had hammered whenever He had made her angry. She hadn't considered His responsibilities, and by distracting Him that one critical night, Darken Wood had been born.  
It was she who should wear the blood of all those killed by the demons who sought entry. It was she who should be the one meant to pay for her crimes, not the world. And not Kasumi.  
Before she realized what she was doing, she found herself in front of Shinnosuke's cottage. Shinnosuke, too, had a debt to pay. Though she had led him down this path, he had chosen to follow her. She couldn't see him anywhere, and almost as though possessed, decided to issue a challenge by singing the next verse of the song:  
  
"For every wraith who breaks his faith  
Must wander without cease  
And, cold perform what he did, warm,  
And never rest in peace."  
  
There was no reply. She floated into the remains of the cottage to find Shinnosuke sitting on the ground, staring at what had been the ceiling. "We have work to do," she said coolly.  
"Us? Work? Akane, I hate to break this to you, but you're dead."  
Her eyes seemed to pick up light from some unholy source. "I broke my vow long ago, Shinnosuke. I won't let that hurt another person, though."  
"What do you want?" he asked.  
She looked at him, not quite believing what she was seeing reflected in his eyes. Even after the centuries of unlife, Shinnosuke still loved her. She wondered why she had never noticed before. Right now, though, a sense of urgency gripped her, and she knew that for once, there was something she could do. "We're going to go guard the East," she said softly. She wouldn't let Kasumi do it.  
Shinnosuke flinched. He had never returned to that land since Ranma had destroyed his body. He feared what he would see- that land was still under the sway of the spell that held so much of the wood captive. "I..." he began, then decided to let the words fall away. There was no point in objecting. He would do whatever Akane wanted him to in the end.  
The two spirits raced through the forest towards the East. Akane grew more and more concerned the closer they got to the edge of Darken Wood. "Something's not right..." she said, more to herself then to Shinnosuke.   
He nodded. "One of us should warn someone," he said softly.  
"Who would listen?" Akane asked. "We need to find out what exactly is wrong."  
She pressed onwards, feeling the twisted land cry out in agony. Her spirit became more attuned to the earth, and she looked back, finally realizing what was threatening the wood. She looked back and her eyes met Shinnosuke's. He held her look steadily, understanding. "Demon," they whispered in unison. And by the feel of it, it was a major demon. The mortals patrolling this edge of the wood would have no chance of stopping it. Only the Forest Master, Ukyou or Ryouga would be able to destroy this creature- and the later two were injured. She shut her eyes, trying to make a decision.  
Then she decided, and she felt clean for the first time since she had told Ranma of her love. Ranma, we need you! she telepathed to the Forest Master, calling on a bond she had denied when she had led Shinnosuke on a hunt.  
A wave of utter astonishment flashed at her, and she almost laughed as Ranma reached into her mind to find out what was wrong. She felt his concern, then heard his voice whisper back into her mind. I can't be there- but you and Shinnosuke can be, he replied softly.  
A wave of pure power flooded across the link between Master and Servant, and Akane gasped, crumpling to the ground. She clenched her fist, amazed. She was real again! She looked down at her body, amazed that she could feel the wind on her body. It was so pleasurable to be alive again that she almost lost herself in the pleasure of physical sensation.   
Then she felt the heat pick up and she looked up, her eyes widening in fear. The demon was approaching, and she could feel the trees cry their agony as the demon ripped them out of their soil. Akane saw flashes of the creature that towered at least thirty feet high. Beside her she could feel Shinnosuke prepare himself for the battle that they would soon fight.  
After what seemed to be eons (but in reality was no more then a minute) there was nothing blocking their site of the abomination. She looked at it, glad that she hadn't had anything to eat in centuries, for if she had, she would have embarrassed herself.  
Repugnant. It was a carriture of a huge man, yet she could feel the evil that seemed to roll of the things in wave after revolting wave. Its sickly white skin was covered in brilliant postules, and she could see small slotches on it that were green. Its eyes, though, were a brilliant violet, and it was the eyes that triggered a sense of familiarity.  
She had seen those eyes before. Only one other creature had such eyes, but that had been a human. Finally the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. "Dimanche," she whispered.  
Shinosuke was preparing for the battle, standing agressively. When he heard her whispered the monster's name, he studied it carefully, trying to match it to his now-perfect memories. "It is..." he whispered, horrified.  
"I AM!" the creature bellowed at the two warriors who were the only defense against it. "So you finally understand the purpose in my performing the Curse of the Carrion Wood on your precious Shadow Wood?" he asked, reading her surface thoughts with ease.  
She did indeed. "You won't succeed! Ranma will destroy you!" she exclaimed angrily.  
The creature laughed, a sound that mocked everything that was right and pure. "Like he did last time? Remember, it was I who killed him... without me, he never would have been the Forrest Master! Now events have come full circle... but this time, when Ranma and I duel, not even the Earth will be able to save him! This wood is evil, and thus, answers my call!"  
Shinnosuke had heard enough. He threw himself forward, landing on the Creatures mishappened upper body. "Forgotten Realm Nullification!" he called, summoning the energies available to one of the Servants. His hands lit with a green aura and he rapidly stuck the demon in a manner reminiscent of Ranma's earliest special attack, the Chestnut Fist.  
The demon roared in rage and flund Shinnosuke from him, combining the blow with a surge of amazing magical energies. Shinosuke hit the ground heavily, and Akane could tell that bones were broken, and he probably had internal damage.   
Now Akane was all that stood between Dimanche and Shadow Glade, the very heart of the Forrest. If he got there, then all would be lost.  
The battle was joined. Akane and Dimanche threw attack after attack at each other. Each time one of his attacks struck her, she groaned in anguish, her body wearing down. Finally Dimanche had her cornered.  
Akane breathed heavily, one of her lungs punctured. Her lips were stained with her own blood, and she realized that this time, she was going to die for real. She shut her eyes, wanting to deny that she had failed to protect the Wood for the second time.  
Without thinking, her hands raised in unison. Her feet shifted so she was balanced lightly, and she felt the energy begin to flow through her. "Shi-" she began softly.  
One of Ryouga's main charecter traitst was depression. He had developed an attack based on that, and it was something to behold. His power was amazing. Akane, though, had something he didn't- five hundred years of regret and anger that hadn't had a release. She called on her regret for betrayal, her sadness at leading Shinosuke along the same path.... "Shi-" her voice became louder.  
Her memories of Ranma and Ryouga, Kasumi and Ukyou, and yes, even Shampoo... "HOUKODAN!" she yelled, then let the power surge through her.  
It was like the sun had exploded, brilliant and beautiful and deadly. She was thrown back into the ground, but it was Dimanche whose fate was the more terrifying. He simply ceased to exist- no body, nothing.  
Akane looked at her battered body, her eyes widening with wonder. It seemed her betrayal was forgiven; she watched as the darkness of the Forest seemed to melt away, and listened as birdsong filled the Forest for the first time in centuries.   
She glanced over at where Shinosuke was, surprised to see him watching the eastern horizen. "It's almost dawn," he whispered to her.  
"I think we'll live to see it," Akane replied, crawling painfully over to Shinosuke. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his faltering heart beat. She had made ammends with Ranma, but now she needed the forgiveness of the man she had wronged in the worse possible way- abusing his love for her own twisted purposes. "I'm so sorry, Shinosuke," she said, hot tears flowing down her face.   
He seemed to understand. He tangled his hand in her hair and caressed her cheek lovingly. "There's nothing to forgive. I love you. I always have, and I will until the end of time." His gentle words caused her to sob even louder, feeling unworthy of his devotion. "Hush now," he said. "Let's watch the sunrise."  
They lay together, arms wrapped tightly around each other. They watched the sunrise as though it was the first sunrise, and in a way, it was. As the sun finally passed the horizen, Akane and Shinosuke shut their eyes as one, their breath stilled forever.  
An hour later, Kasumi entered the grove, followed by Ukyou. The injured warrior stood in shock at the sight that met her eyes. "They're- they're dead," Ukyou whispered. "Truly dead." Her good hand grasped the spatula that she still wore on her back, as though Death was an adversary she had to fight.   
Kasumi walked over to her sister and smiled down gently at her body. "Yes, they are," she asnwered.  
"Damn it!" Ukyou cursed angrily. "I should have been here! Akane wasn't ready for a battle!" She looked at her former friend's face and was struck by the peace that was on it. A tear formed in Ukyou's eye and she was about start crying when she felt Kasumi's hand on her shoulder.  
"We do not mourn for those who have fulfilled their destiny," Kasumi said softly.  
The two woman stood quiet for a moment.  
"Do you know that she recently became obsessed with that old song that told of the hunt?" Kasumi asked.  
Ukyou shook her head, the chestnut curls flying. "Akane and I haven't been close since the betrayal."  
The Servants of the Forest Master of Shadow Wood looked each other in the eye, and of mutual accord began to sing the final verse together. Ukyou's alto was a beautiful counterpoint to Kasumi's soaring soprano.   
  
"And so they shall betray and hunt,  
Until the day they show  
That they somehow fulfill the vow  
They broke so long ago."  
  
It was a fitting dirge for their two fallen comrades- and friends.  
  
***  
  
A few months later, the Forest Master appeared in a glade that could only be found by creatures with magic in their nature. With their final death, Ryouga had finally forgiven Akane and Shinosuke their trecherous actions. They had redeemed themselves, almost at the cost of their very souls. So Ryouga had buried them in marked graves, out of the sight of mere mortals. This was the graveyard of the Seven Servants, as Shampoo's and Mousse's graves lay slightly beyond. Ranma walked over to the newer gravestones after briefly touching Shampoo's.  
The Forest Master looked down on the grave of Shinosuke, the man who had once been his rival. He laid a flower on it, and wished him well.  
Then he turned to Akane's grave. Fresh flowers were already laid; Ranma was willing to bet Kasumi had been the one to place them there. To this he added a photo; one of Akane and him back-to-back. It had been taken after they managed to defeat the Dojo Destroyer, working together. He had never told her he had kept it, and now wished he had. Ranma rose with the grace that had always been his trademark, and began to sing in a haunting tenor. The song was an old one, but he had recently heard new verses added on and wanted to share them. He told Akane's story, mangled though it was. Finally he came to the new verses:  
  
"The shadows in the woods are plain  
And mingle now with light;  
They flow and play with sun by day  
And dance with moon by night.  
  
From Darken Wood has Shadow Wood  
Been granted its release,  
Those who were killed in vows fulfilled  
Have there been granted peace."  
  
No one was there to see the tears that decorated Ranma's   
face. He bent over and kissed the gravestone. "Sleep well, beloved," he   
whispered. Then he was gone.  
  
  
THE END  
  
Notes: What happened to Ukyou? This originally was supposed to be an   
UKYOU story after all... but after writing the first draft of part one (and   
posting it to the FFML) I realized that it wasn't working. Ukyou didn't have  
enough relationships between the key Ranma characters- why would she feel   
betrayed by Ryouga (unless I wrote ANOTHER thread/time period in, which would  
distract from the main story)? Why would Shinnosuke agree to follow her?   
Kasumi would talk to her but not in any special way.... and so forth. It   
became clear that this was an Akane story- after all, Ranma 1/2 is about   
Ranma and Akane's relationship (growl- and here I am an Ukyou fan!). Thanks   
to everyone who replied to the rough of the first part- it's much better now!  
  
If you MST or review this lemme know so I can look (and laugh!).   
I think there's plenty of MST room for this, especially for a DRAGONLANCE   
board of reviewers (how about Raistlin, Tas, Sturm and Caramon? Acidic wit,   
curiosity, honesty/stick stuck up you-know-where, and stupidity!) Or even a   
xover MST....  
  



End file.
